A blog dealing with either the joy of cinema or the agony of cinema--nothing in between.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Amour

Anne and Georges, an elderly married couple living in their Paris flat, return home following a recital of their former music pupil. The following morning, Anne has a minor episode and after a doctor's confirmation of a blocked artery and an unsuccessful surgery to repair it, Georges assumes the daunting role of caregiver, wishing to spare his wife any humiliation possible as they begin the painful procession to finality. I don't really know how to describe my personal reaction to Michael Haneke's "Amour", but it struck both a personal and deeply visceral chord, and was one of the most shattering experiences I've had at a movie. Haneke is often charged with making exceedingly grim films, but I think he just strips away the phony, sentimental veneer to which many moviegoers have grown accustomed, and presents an authentic, often very harsh view. On top of the deeply felt emotive attributes, "Amour" is a methodical, masterfully made film with a series of perfectly realized scenes. It's stars, Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant, are nothing less than extraordinary as she begins a quick physical descent as he suffers the gradual, emotional wear, and their devotion is evident in every scene.